Gang circular sawing machine



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J. O. BUTLER. GANG GIRCULAR SAWING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

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(No Model.)

- J'. 0. BUTLER.

GANG GIRGULAR SAWING MACHINE. No. 408,790. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

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JAMES OSCAR BUTLER, OF VERBENA, ALABAMA.

GANG CIRCULAR SAWING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,790, dated August13, 1889.

Application filed June 23, 1888.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J muns OSCAR BUTLER, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Verbena, in the county of Chilton and State ofAlabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GangCircular Sawing Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in gang circular-saw mills; and theobject of my improvement is to provide a machine for makingstraight-grain or quartered flooring at a reduced cost by obtaining withrapidity a large proportion of this class of timber from a log with buta small additional amount of manual labor. I attain these objects by theconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which-- Figure1 is a side view of a machine constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalvertical section of the main portion of the machine. Fig. 4. is ahorizontal section on line :0 :r of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof the series of fingers carrying saw-guides, their adjustablesupporting-bar, and pivot-rod upon which they are mounted.

In said drawings, the frame of the machine is represented at A. Thesides thereof are recessed in the middle of their length at A and insaid recesses are located the bearings a, for the main shaft or mandrela that is provided with three keys on its periphery. Upon said mandrelis mounted the sleeve of, having on one end the large collar (0* and atthe other end a screw-thread to receive the nut a". The interior of thearbor is provided with grooves to fit upon the three keys of themandrel, and its exterior is provided with two keys to entercorresponding recesses in the sawsB and in the removable collars O,

placed thereon between each saw. These collars are of any desiredthickness corresponding with the thickness of the flooringlumberintended to be obtained.

The recesses A in the frame are made so as to permit the saws to belowered and the saw-teeth to pass but very little beyond the top of theflitches or lumber T operated upon. This relieves the saws of thefriction Serial No. 277,956. (No model.)

and heat that would be caused upon them by the timber if the latterreached closer to their arbor; but as fast as the saws wear out andbecome reduced in diameter the bearings A can be elevated by placingwashers or metal plates under them. Each bearing is secured to the frameby four bolts passing vertically through them, and they are alsoretained by bolts at their ends. The saw-guide consists in part of arectangular bar D, located across the machine and having its middleportion standing on its edge and its ends resting flat upon the frame A.This bar carries parallel thereto, by means of straps d, securedthereto, a cylindrical rod (1, upon which are pivoted a series offingers (P, the free ends of which enter between the saws. Said freeends carry two guide-pins d one of said pins being vertically above theother and bearing against one of the saws and the other pin bearingagainst another of the saws. Each pin is retained by a set-screw (1 oneof which is inserted in the top of the finger and the other in the underside thereof. This arrangement of the pins d and screws (1 facilitatesthe independent adjustment of said pins. Each finger is also securedfirmly to the supporting-bar D by means of a bolt (1 inserted in'thependent under side of said finger and into said bar. The base of saidfinger rests against said bar, and is broader than the middle portion,the latter being made thin at these points where the saw-teeth passbetween the fingers. This gives space for the sawdust to escape betweenthem withoutdanger of choking up. The barD is secured to the frame ateach end by means of bolts passing through slots in said bars. It hasalso a pendent arm D through which passes an adjusting-screw (1 thatextends into the frame, and whereby a very minute adjustment can bemade.

Over the fingers (1 there is placed an angular bar E, having its endssecured to the frame. Said bar extends down in front of the fingers, andis to protect the fingers and form a support for the lumber passing overit, and prevents it from bending down after its rear end leaves thefront feed-roll F. This roll consists of a shaft f, upon which issecured a collar f near one end, a series of spur-wheels f and a washerf between each of said wheels and the next. These wheels and washers areretained clamped together against the collar f by a nut f at theopposite end. This shaft f is provided With a key that fits intokey-seats in the spur-wheels, and prevents them from rotatingindependently of the shaft. Said shaft is retained in boxes F bolted tothe frame of the machine.

In the rear of the saws there is a roll G, consisting of a series ofdisks g and rings g between them. The edge of the disks is beveled onboth sides and tapers to a feather-edge, and constitutes a continuouswedge around said disks to enter the kerf made by the saws. It keeps thesawed boards apart and prevents the lumber from clamping the saws. Thesedisks and wedges are keyed on the shaft g and are retained by means of acollar 9 at one end and a nut g at the other, said shaft 9 beingretained in boxes G bolted to the frame. These wedging rings are thesame distance apart as are the saws and in line with them, and the ringsg constitute the support at that point for the lumber. To keep saidlumber pressed upon the feed-roll F and wedge-roll G smooth rollers IIare suspended above them by means of frames h, pivoted at 7L2 to theframe A in a horizontal plane above the saws, and to add to theirpressure chains or ropes 71.3 are attached to the lower end of theframes h. The lower end of each of said ropes is attached to a lever 71that has one end pivoted to the frame, and the opposite end carries aweight h adjustable along said lever.

At the front end of the machine there is a table I, having rollers 2 toreceive the lumber fed to the saws. It carries also on one side astraight-edge F, to properly guide one edge of said lumber. At the rearend of the machine there is also a table K, carrying two rolls 7;, tofacilitate the removal of the lumber after it is sawed. These tables areproperly secured to the frame A.

Power is given to the mandrel-shaft a by means of broad pulleys M uponthe ends of said shaft. The latter carries, also, a small pulley m,around which passes a belt 11, that passes around a large pulley N uponthe shaft N retained in bearings on the frame of the table I. This shaftN carries on the opposite end a small pulley a around which is placed abelt P, that presses with frictional contact upon the large pulley Q,that is mounted upon one end of the shaft f of the feed-roll F. Saidbelt passes also around a large pulley R upon the shaft 9 of the wedgescarrying roll G, and gives also motion to the latter. To cause the beltP to hug the under side of the pulley Q, a belt-tightening roll q ismade to press against the bottom of said belt P, said belt-tightenerroll q being mounted upon one of the arms of the bell-crank 1ever (1pivoted to the frame.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of aseries of saws and collars mounted upon an arbor, a series of fingersbetween said saws, each finger provided with two horizontal pins locatedvertically one above the other, and set-screws for each pin, with a barD and finger-retaining screws (1 and a rod passing through all thefingers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a series of saws and removable collars mountedupon an arbor, a series of vertically-adjustable fingers between saidsaws, and two horizontal pins projecting from each finger, with thetransverse bar D,

the rod d, and the angular protecting-bar E, extending in front thereofand over said fingers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of a series of saws mounted upon a sleeve secured toan arbor, and a series of fingers between said saws, each intermediatefinger having two adjustably-retained pins projecting from its sides andlocated one vertically above the other, with a feed-roll consisting of aseries of spur-wheels and washers mounted upon and clamped on a shaft,substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of a series of saws mounted upon a sleeve carried byan arbor with a shaft having a series of disks and parting-ringsthereupon, each disk tapering on both sides adjacent to its peripheryand conmo stituting wedges to relieve the saws of pressure, and asmooth-face pressure-roll over said disks, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature W. H. FOSHEE,

JOHN GARNER.

